More than a dozen early Christian-era tombs were discovered at Parco dei Ravennati, near the ancient harbor city of Ostia Antica.
The tombs surround a central grave, which led the team of ½ûÂþÌìÌà and American archeologists working at the site to conclude that the person buried in the central tomb was very important, perhaps a saint.  Â
Darius Arya, director of the American Institute for Roman Culture, the non-profit organization in charge of the excavations, suggested it could be Saint Monica or Saint Aurea: "Santa Monica was an early 4th century saint and mother of St. Augustine. Third century Saint Aurea was the patron saint of Ostia and her church is nearby." Â
Archeologists also found several funerary inscriptions and a possible tabella defixionum, a tablet intended to protect the dead and curse those who dared desecrate the tombs, although researchers still need to evaluate its context.
A team of 29 international students led by Arya and Michele Raddi have been working in three locations within the 15,000-square-meter Parco dei Ravennati. The discovery of the tombs could provide important information regarding the Ostia area.
